Popular songs can often capture the heartbeat of communities, in ways the serious media fail to grasp. Today’s infotainment media can ignore the meanings, while drawing on the celebrity culture at the centre of much of the popular music industry. Many in our media are cheering on our (alleged) “Rock Star” economy. Meanwhile the inequality gap, and life damaging poverty are there for all who dare to see it, un-diverted by the beat-ups and politically motivated shenanigans of the neoliberal PR machine.

Some have drawn similarities between our current PM, John Key, and Robert Muldoon, Prime Minister in the 1975 to 1984. This was the period leading up to the Rogernomic, “neoliberal” revolution that began in 1984. Muldoon was a polarizing figure, much like John Key (though our media tends to talk up Key’s positive following). Muldoon’s outlook on life was mocked in an iconic NZ song, “There is No Depression in New Zealand”

He was one of the most polarising figures in New Zealand history, failing to address the growing economic depression and consequent unemployment, the racial unrest and the threat of civil war “World War Three“ when a racially repressive Springbok Rugby team toured New Zealand.

Muldoon divided New Zealanders into two camps. Some saw “Piggy” Muldoon as a dictatorial Prime Minister who came close to destroying both the economy and social fabric of New Zealand through his arrogance. Others, “Rob’s Mob”, revered him as a supporter of the “ordinary bloke” and an icon of the New Zealand national character.

The above linked web site, New Zealand Folk Song, outlines the history of the ‘No Depression” song. It reveals a people’s slant on the country’s changing political landscape: one that links creativity, entertainment and youthful rebellions, while also revealing similarities and differences between then and now.

Thesang by Blam Blam Blam was a protest against the Muldoonist mis-representations of the conflicts, struggle, insecurities and dangers in NZ society of the time.

Apparently,

The Hamilton-based “Swamp Stomp” Gumboot Dancers still use it regularly as part of their eclectic range of antics.

The web page reports on the use of “No Depression in the McGillicuddies”:

The McGilliduddy Serious Party was formed as a political party to use satire as a way of highlighting the absurdity of other partys’ policies.

McGSP leader Graeme Cairns explains:“In about 1990 Mark Servian of the McGillicuddies was doing a radio broadcast over the Waikato Students’ Union radio station. It purported to be the National Radio’s Saturday Night Show, 50 years in the future, and the final piece of music they played was Blam Blam Blam’s There is No Depression in New Zealand,” which Mark prefaced with; “And we’ll say goodnight with the National Anthem”.

There was a failed attempt to use the song as a stunt during the 1993 or 1996 elections.

In doing this, Turei brought together her radical beginnings in politics, where fun, humour, satire and street politics were part of her activism: an activism embracing a deep and serious commitment. Her maiden speech outlines her journey from growing up in a poor, Maori, working class family. There are more details of Turei’s life story on the Green Party’s website. There are some similarities with John Key’s very politically-spun origins, but Turei has taken a different route.

Metiria’s life is peppered with challenges that have been successfully converted into opportunities. She remains resolutely unbound to any particular ideology (“the dusty tomes of old, dead guys”) and developed her political theories alongside the practical application of dissent and organisation.

Much of Metiria’s political action has centred on the rights of beneficiaries. She well remembers unemployed life as an 18-year old in Wellington

Unlike Key, and like David Cunliffe, she has not pulled the ladder up after herself. As her response to the attempted smear of her choice of clothing shows, Turei remains down-to-earth, and focused on helping to make NZ a better place for all Kiwis.

Blam Blam Blam’s song still strikes to the heart of today’s political realities: as Tracey commented:

An economy that sees families struggling, which sees the gap between the bottom half of kiwis and the top half increasing by the decade is not a Rockstar. We should be saying it is an economy that has failed. No matter how well you handle THAT economy… families struggle, gap widens and child poverty grows.

The rockstar is a single person, at the top;, with the money and the fame. Of course he/she is happy and smiling and likeable.
The roadie is in the wing doing the grunt work for no credit and basic pay
The majority have to pay for the pleasure to line the Rockstar’s pocket

Related

104 comments on “Rock star – “No depression””

rockstar huh.
root all the sheilas and snarf as much coke as you can get till your septum blows up.
more prosaically just wait for the next real estate boom, inflate the paper, con the dodos with high interst rates and then retire to the south of France.
a sunny place for shady people.
rockstar my arse.

(Verse 1 – Tom Scott)
‘Cause this ain’t no fucking joke, we fucking broke,
far from cutting coke, all we got is luck and hope,
dreams going up in smoke, one day, some way,
yeah that’s what we used to say, now we black out, sniffin’ white
sold the future’s grey, the youth that we threw away
ain’t ever coming back, our criminal record
haunting us forever like a tab.
Where I come from, minimum wage is what we run on,
no wonder why we spendin’ our pay getting drunk off some cheap shit,
standing in line, waiting for some free shit to eat with,
resorting to crime for some Weetbix, the same old story
that you heard a million times before, I bet a party doesn’t even cross
your mind no more, fucking Prime Minister ain’t even got the time to talk,
cuttin’ off the dole, tryna justify why we’re poor,
acting like we’re happy working underneath your iron claw,
when you don’t even need to give a reason we’ve been fighting for.
Trying to fight the law is like, tryna fight a fireball, ask my old man,
they locked him up just for trying to score.
Fuck working in a factory ’til you’re 94, course we resort to crime
when all you get from crime is_________
And that’s some fucked up system where justice is just some juxtaposition
between the police and the judge’s decision and even if you scream,
who the fuck is gonna listen to us?

And what they know about missing the bus?
Yeah, it’s just another prisoner’s dust
They keep the bread and they give us the crust,
’cause the system is sussed; there ain’t no politician to trust
who’s gonna listen to us

(Verse 2 – Tourettes)
John Key can suck my dick, hiding in his mansion.
While half the population flies across the Tasman,
the other half tryna act like it’s not happenin’.
Thinkin’ that they’re rich with their hire purchase plasmas,
asking what’s the matter? There’s no depression in New Zealand!
Yeah, just a soul sinking feeling, had you staring at the
All Blacks cheering, distracting you from the oil spills of poor tax.
Dignity?
Can’t afford that on minimum wage,
shit is insane, the rent is half of my pay!
Nobody laughing these days, though the economy’s a joke.
Except for ___________ you know how how that goes,
socialism for the rich, capitalism for the poor.
Want us to live in shit, keep us struggling and bored,
if you waited and thought for one second, that we deserve better,
ain’t enough pigs to protect ‘em, keep everything expensive
and the wages low, get them loses and wins out digging some holes,
saying work’ll set you free, yeah it’s good for the soul, ____________
while they come and ask for your vote. Cut the funding ________ by
the National Party, blame every problem on solo mothers and dole bludgers,
the working class and ___ gang getting fisted, until we say it different
ain’t no one gonna listen to us

Minimum wage just isn’t enough
Tax cuts don’t make a difference to us
Act like a poor, all we know is prison and drugs
Gettin’ high is the only way we livin’ it up

(Outro – Matt Crawley)
I’ve been thinking ’bout who’s doing the talking, all I’ve been reading
about how we’re sinking
I’ve been drinking ’bout how we’re doing, all that we’re missing,
and that nobody’s listening

“Homebrew hail from the inner west Auckland suburb of Avondale. After building a solid profile for live shows and a well received debut EP, they hit up funding body NZ on Air for their $5k video grant and were knocked back repeatedly. Enlisting the help of Chris Graham (video clip director for Trinity Roots and Scribe, and feature director of Sione’s Wedding) they made a series of web promos’ taking a swipe at the funding bodies unwillingness to fund up and coming successful artists but more than happy to pour $50k into major label backed projects. The resulting videos and well aimed critique hit the mark and then some. Now well into the finishing process of their debut (double!) album, tracks are starting to appear on Soundcloud and new videos are on the way. New track ‘Listen To Us’, a collaboration with Tourettes, debuted just before the NZ general election in November and captured the sentiment felt across the nation; sadly not enough to help the underdogs pull through in the country’s most apathetic election in a century…Orange Press talks to head larrikin Tom Scott:…….”

Furthermore Brett, you’re going to get the “10 cent skank” treatment by the Upsetters, just to chill you out on a Friday evening. All that huffing and puffing about imagined tax payer dollar going to a band doesn’t do your health any good.

So first you were saying that it’s not ok to sing about minimum wage life if you’ve had a video grant ($5000 btw, and guess what: the money has to be used for a fucking music video. It doesn’t alter their income one cent).

But now you’re saying it’s not ok to sing about life on minimum wage if you even applied for $5000 to make a music video.

Uhm Garth was the first straight artist to get artist of the year from GLAAD. He has also won awards from the NCAAP. His songs are about racial harmony, gay rights, woman issues, he has written songs about down syndrome etc etc.

Your a typical Kiwi winger. You automatically think :Well every hiphop group must have intrigirty and every country artist must be racist”

Because you yourself are a bigot and use stereotypes. Im pretty sure President Obama wouldnt have invited to sing if his lyrics were racists. Im pretty sure he wouldnt have done a concert with George Michael and another concert with boys 2 men if his music was bigtoed or homophobic, do some research next time.

Oh by the way,. country album of the year, went to kacey mugraves an artist who did a song about bi sexual.transgender teens.

Pascal: Homebrew can sing about mininum wage if they want, but when there are lyrics about how they have struggled with no help with their music, but they have received funding, then i take that with a grain of salt.

Again, not every hiphop group has intrigrity, some do some dont.

And not every country artist is some george bush loving pro war guy, toby keith maybe, but the biggest country artists in history are all democrats.

Brooks sings all sorts of trite shite. Doesn’t mean he has integrity based on the metric you applied to homebrew though does it?

Have you ever said, on this blog even, that NZ hiphop is pretty much all bullshit because they are just copying a style fro the US? That the only authentic hiphop is urban african-american? Shit like that?

And JFTR I own far more country and Appalachian mountain derived music than I do hiphop. Even own a Garth Brooks album, though technically it’s my partner’s. It doesn’t get listened to much though, I have to say. He’s just boring.

God you’re a miserable Cnut aren’t you Brett. The very first thing you think of when it comes to something people might derive some pleasure from is ‘how much does it cost’.
You and Chris Finlayson should hook up! You’re the only people allowed you’re indulgences, after all – Gods Gift – the plebs just gotta pay!.
I won’t forget to put roses on your grave – followed by a dose of urea.

No no no – you don’t get off that so easily. As I said – THE VERY FIRST THING you thought of, was the COST.
Secondly: “I’m pretty sure if this huphop group wrote a song ripping into labour or the greens, you would be criticizing them.” …… WRONG! It’d receive a wry smile at best.

It’s a shame the likes of you and Chris don’t ekshly realise the regard in which you’re held, by those that provide your pleasure. Most of them do it under duress (mortgages to pay and all that).

BoQ.
btw …. BM – you don’t happen to have a first name of Brendan do you? Never mind though – in any event, your first thought as to COST and NZoA funding pretty much says it all.
You don’t claim to be a suppota of ‘the arts’ as well do you? Yea I bet – I’ll take yours and raise you.

other bands not mentioned – not really. Politics and commentaries on life are themes that pop up in several actives acts work there aren’t any bands I’d say are radical in the sense tat we’ve seen before (most notably in some of our lifetimes in the late 70’s/80s).

Locally there have been some songs that attack john Key and the govt but on a subject matter level they are pretty much puerile “he’s a dick” sort of affairs

Politics and political commentary is a topic that is sadly lacking in the global contemporary music world, there are plenty of artists commenting on their circumstances and the world in which they live but few that are actually advocating real or radical change

I live and watch in the hope that somewhere someone with an audience will produce some great music with a message that resonates with (primarily) the young that will encourage them to be more active politically in their lives

Two of the counters relied on the caricature of muldoon – my memory of muldoon was not so much the “snarl” (though he could) but the crooked smile as he disparaged his opponents – e.g. “increases the IQ of both countries”. Your pro-key links rely on us remembering only the bully, not the gloss. A bit like remembering key only through his throat-slitting gesture in the house and his soulless eyes when faced with the slightest challenge to his authority (by media or opposition).

The third link is hide comparing norman to muldoon, and saying they’re largely dissimilar. Sort of pointless, really.

Many in our media are cheering on our (alleged) “Rock Star” economy. Meanwhile the inequality gap, and life damaging poverty are there for all who dare to see it, un-diverted by the beat-ups and politically motivated shenanigans of the neoliberal PR machine.

They can see it all right. They just don’t care because the people who vote National see themselves as doing well out of it. Pop songs have zero effect. The people who sing them inevitably end up as right wing fogeys if they make enough money.

It’s been normality for 30 years and you still deny it. Neoliberalism is electorally popular enough that it is undefeatable for the foreseeable future. Of course it’s very bad for part of the population, but the rest, and in particular older people, are doing just fine out of it, and enough of them vote to make it the political norm. Like many, I thought that the financial crisis would make a difference, but it’s just gotten worse. Yes, it’s stupid, but stupidity is as curable as the common cold.

You and the rest of the contributors to this site have no real answer to that, so you try to make it about something else. In the end, we get this crap simply because you can’t win an election in NZ (or the countries like it) without it. This really is what democracy looks like. John Key will be the Prime Minister until he is replaced by whichever right wing member of the Labour caucus replaces Cunliffe early next year.

Sosoo. I was referring to your attitude, which I find defeatist. There is more to “politics” than party politics – people do not have to tolerate what their governments dictate, no matter who is in power. Dissent is a part of a healthy democracy. There’s more to it than voting every three years.

Without responsive “intermediate civic institutions” and mass movements pressuring the political parties to shift Left, we’re going to be stuck with regurgitated neoliberal capitalist policies to a sometimes greater, and to a sometimes lesser, extent from both Labour and National as the two parties keep cycling through.

I’m a long term non-voter, so I can answer for myself, although I have no idea why most other non-voters refrain.

I guess it’s because I don’t think of democracy as a transparent system in which the will of voters is translated into action. Instead it seems to me that the structure of the system largely determines the outcome. Back in the day there were more intermediate civic institutions (like unions and mass membership political parties) mediating between the average voter and the government, and this enabled a more deliberative rationality and made it easier for individual people to be part of organised voting blocs.

Now that’s all gone, and political parties as a matter of brute fact are nothing more than corporate bodies “selling” policy to individuals in the same way that McDonalds sells hamburgers to teenagers. It’s not a particularly deliberative or rational process, and so the end result tends to be not as good for regular people and better for those who can afford to maintain interest groups (like organised business).

This consumerist type politics doesn’t seem to favour left wing policies, and so the right benefit from an electoral system that gives them a massive advantage (along with the other advantages they’ve always had).

I see no point in participating in such a system, since participating just lends it legitimacy. The kind of political system we now have is inherently right wing, or at least it seems so to me.

I’m sure some political scientist pointed this out years ago, but it seems obvious to me. I can’t see any way out of it either, since hyper individualism seems to rule these days. Politics is fun to talk and argue about, but I can’t personally see anything changing for a long time. For example, it’s only a few months in and Cunliffe has already been neutered.

@Sosooo
I am sorry that you do not vote. Can I just say that I think abdicating that responsibility means you have given up and surrendered. If people like yourself continue to do so then democracy is really doomed. ‘Use it or lose it’ as the saying goes. Not participating lends their programme legitimacy as they go unopposed. ‘The only thing it takes for evil to win is for good to do nothing’ or words to that effect.

I would encourage you to vote. It does not take much and is an important part of a democratic society. They win and think they are right if you do not turn up.

There is a lot more you can do than just vote as well. Work to influence society to be better.

He was one of the most polarising figures in New Zealand history, failing to address the growing economic depression and consequent unemployment, the racial unrest and the threat of civil war “World War Three“ when a racially repressive Springbok Rugby team toured New Zealand.

Not relevant to your post, but perhaps of general interest: when this song came out, those of us around at the time took “everybody’s talkin’ ’bout World War Three” quite literally to mean an impending WW3, not as any kind of metaphor about NZ under Muldoon. The assumption that Thatcher and Reagan would deliver us WW3 was pretty widespread.

Sosoo
We can’t promise you a certain win for Labour. But we can promise you a certain loss for Labour if we spend time listening to you. It is no good you singing your dirge, you know that it achieves nothing useful and wastes your time and ours. Why not hang around and say nothing except when something good does happen and put in a short positive comment then. Otherwise I think you’re just another RWNJ gremlin making a snide attack.

We are aware that it will be a dirty election. We waste precious time on the panty fillers who come here so if that is you too, shut up.

Sosoo
Well we have the matter clear now. So you can stop telling us to do likewise and sapping the energy to change that we are trying to harnesss. Just watch eh, contain your tongue, and if we look as if a push in the right direction will get us over the line in winning form, come and give us your friendly hand. That’s your best option and you could be the tipping point that gets us over. Until then adieu.

For a significant chunk of the voting public, Rob Muldoon is about as relevant to NZ’s political landscape as Pitt the Younger or Cicero. He’s something that happened to other people in another place in another millennium.

When I see references to Rob Muldoon and Blam Blam Blam i think “sweet zombie jesus, how OLD is the person who wrote this?”

And for a significant chunk of the voting public, it’s stuff they remember very well. For a smaller but still significant chunk, Jack Marshall, Norman Kirk and Blerta are things they remember very well, and for a still-smaller chunk Keith Holyoake is someone they remember. The voting population isn’t made up just of the young, and having a political frame of reference that doesn’t extend further back than the Clark government isn’t some kind of advantage.

“Muldoon divided New Zealanders into two camps. Some saw “Piggy” Muldoon as a dictatorial Prime Minister who came close to destroying both the economy and social fabric of New Zealand through his arrogance. Others, “Rob’s Mob”, revered him as a supporter of the “ordinary bloke” and an icon of the New Zealand national character.”

Well, is present New Zealand not in a somewhat similar situation, where half of the voting public seem be be more or less “charmed” by John Key and his way of talking casually, cunningly and slimly, and the other half of the voting population seem to more or less despise him and his government?

But apart from such comparisons, the present day New Zealand is a rather different place to those past years, where ‘There is No Depression in New Zealand’ and other critical songs were popular. The media is much more commercially focused, ratings addicted, driven by profits and also certain business interests, so that they want to maintain the status quo, rather than challenge it.

Even the many critics of the present government tend to be rather resigned and depressed, feeling powerless, so little active dissent is to be seen and heard, apart from us more informed.

It is simply unbelievable how we have the MSM now go on about “The Rockstar Economy”, while statistics we get are questioning there is much of a “boom” going on.

Just today we got some new tax earnings figures, and they surprised many, showing that the actual tax take for the last 6 months was well down on earlier estimates and expectations:

“The Crown’s operating balance before gains and losses (obegal) was a deficit of $1.79 billion in the six months ended Dec. 31, $380 million wider than forecast in its Dec. 17 half-year economic and fiscal update, and down from a shortfall of $3.19 billion a year earlier. Core tax revenue was $602 million below forecast at $29.18 billion.”

“The smaller tax take was across the board, with GST 2.3 percent below forecast at $7.5 billion…”

I think we should call it a BULLSHIT ECONOMY that we have, as it can only be BS what we get told by the government. If there was really significant economic growth, tax earnings would surely be higher.

Maybe it is rather the tax free earnings from real estate sales that “boost” the economy, but which will only benefit very few, who make capital gains into their pockets, from inflated property values?

If we had a media that was more open and listened to what many people are concerned about, then we may have them play some critical music, but apparently they have “no taste” for it, not wanting to upset our dear “glorious” “Leader in Shining Armour”.

Ask away, but I’m not sure I’ll be arsed aswering unless you can show relevance.

meanwhile:

Which half were you right about in your initial comments on Homebrew?

Have you written before about hiphop only being authentic if it’s from urban African-americans?

Does Garth Brooks have integrity by the standards you applied to Homebrew?

Did Johnny cash really shoot a man in Reno, just to see him die?

How long has Steve Earle spent on death row for murdering people?

Does Robert Earl Keen’s family really buy boxes of tampons and marlboro lights four times a day at Christmas?

When was the last time Dolly Parton worked 9 to 5?

Are you shocked that hendrix never did chop down a mountain with the edge of his hand?

What is music anyway, songs, how do they fucken work, what’s the fucking deal with ballads and poets and travelling goddamn minstrels. What is this shit? Art? This is worse than time I found about literature.

Turns out that prick who wrote catch-22 wasn’t even. It’s lies man, what agoddmn hypocrit, and don’t even get me started on that lying Orwell prick, or the The Clockwork Orange.

NZ has huge private debt problems. Had NZ rolled after Greece, Ireland, then its likely the world would be a much more pleasant a place after fives years of political and economic chaos. But Key stumbled over the solution, tax cuts for businesses boosting the activity of fast food companies and accelrating both the income inequality gap and the health gap (growing obesity, diabetics, etc).
NZ tripped up the collapse, and gave a chance for the GFC to get its patch into place. Massive growth of government debt to replace the losses of profits that where being used to pay off the massive debt in the western world. Had the central banks not stepped in, we’d all have declared bankruptcy and started again, expelling the rancid neo-liberal take over of our culture, economies, parliaments, media and businesses.

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by Michael Roberts Recently Noah Smith pointed out that “Modern macro-economists think that recessions and booms are random fluctuations around a trend. These fluctuations tend to die out — a deep recession leads to a fast recovery, and a big expansion tends… ...

Danyl has some thought-provoking comments about the Herald’s analysis of electoral donations: MPs and other political insiders get really upset if you suggest to them that this is all basically political corruption. Partly this is down to their massive egos. MPs don’t think… ...

The minimum wage rose by 50 cents this month from 14.25 to 14.75. While it’s a small step towards ensuring minimum workers get a fair share, it’s important to remember that real wages only rose 1.5% while productivity rose by… ...

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The current and previous Revenue Ministers must front up and explain how the child support system had a budget blowout from $30 million to $210 million in just four years, says Labour’s Revenue spokesperson Clayton Cosgrove. “Peter Dunne was Revenue… ...

A review of the way MPs’ pay is set should also look at ways to curb excessive rises in the salaries of public service chief executives, Labour Leader Andrew Little says. “Some of these CEOs have had stratospheric pay increases… ...

The minimum wage rose by 50 cents this month from 14.25 to 14.75. While it’s a small step towards ensuring minimum workers get a fair share, it’s important to remember that real wages only rose 1.5% while productivity rose by… ...

It should seem obvious to employers, private or public, that it’s important to do what you can to retain your best, most experienced staff. They make life easier for you because they’re effective, attentive and often respected by those around… ...

That ban was widely hailed, and spurred efforts in other countries to get similar bans. However, apes are still being exploited, abused and killed, both in captivity and in the wild. Examples of cruelty, neglect and abuse abound. Apes are… ...

The only word to describe the latest building consent figures for Auckland is ‘tragic’, Labour’s Housing spokesperson Phil Twyford says. “Whatever the Government is doing to address the Auckland housing crisis, it is clearly not working. ...

A pest which could create havoc for New Zealand’s horticulture and agriculture sector must be as much a focus for the Government as hunting out fruit flies, Labour’s Biosecurity spokesperson Damien O’Connor says. “While the Ministry for Primary Industries is… ...

Despite new evidence showing that cuts to health spending are costing lives the Government continues to deny the sector is struggling, Labour’s Health spokesperson Annette King says. “Health services in New Zealand are in crisis. ...

When Hekia Parata became aware that the Whangaruru charter school was experiencing major problems her first action was to drop standards by reducing the number of qualified teachers they had to employ, Labour’s Education spokesperson Chris Hipkins has revealed. “Hekia… ...

John Key and Bill English need to be straight with New Zealanders about the damage their failure to diversify the economy is doing, after new figures show export growth plunged due to a collapse in dairy exports, says Grant Robertson.… ...

This week the International Monetary Fund released a report on the wider economic value in closing the gender pay gap. When even the bastions of free-market economics start to raise concerns about gender pay gaps, we have to realise how… ...

Labour will hold National to its promise to increase the support given to new parents of premature, multiple birth and babies born with disabilities, Labour’s paid parental leave campaigner Sue Moroney says. "I am naturally disappointed that after battling for… ...

Steven Joyce’s confession that he can no longer guarantee a pillar-free design for the New Zealand International Convention Centre shows the Government has abandoned its dream of creating an ‘iconic’ ‘world-class’ structure, says Labour Economic Development spokesperson David Clark. “Steven… ...

John Key might want to have a quiet word with Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott about Canberra's just-announced crack down on offshore speculators when he visits New Zealand this week, Labour's Housing spokesperson Phil Twyford says."Tony Abbott's centre right government… ...

National backbencher Jacqui Dean has spoken out about overseas driver crashes, putting herself at odds with Prime Minister John Key who is on record as saying it’s not a big issue, Labour’s Transport spokesperson Phil Twyford says. “I’m not surprised… ...

Last week I heard two Palestinians speak at Wellington events about the ongoing crisis in their country. Samar Sabawi spoke to a full house about the history of Palestine and gave us a lucid and disturbing account of the situation… ...

An Amnesty International report has once again criticised New Zealand’s track record on looking after our kids, Labour’s Children’s spokesperson Jacinda Ardern says. The annual report, which looks at global human rights abuses highlights not only the fact that high… ...

It is clear that the first draft of the Māori Language Bill was about structures and funding rather than the survival of te reo Māori, Labour’s Māori Development Spokesperson Nanaia Mahuta says. “Labour is pleased that the Minister of Māori… ...

The long-awaited release of an Education Review Office report into Northland’s troubled Whangaruru charter school proves it should never have been approved in the first place, Labour’s Education spokesperson Chris Hipkins says. “This report identifies problems with absenteeism and disengaged… ...

This week the Greens have participated in awareness activity about Manus Island, the refugee camp on an island in Papua New Guinea where Australia dumps asylum seekers. John Key says that he has every confidence in the Australian Government’s claim… ...

James Shaw has been doing a series of blogs on the Election Inquiry into last year’s general election. I thought this was a great opportunity to raise an issue very dear to me – accessible voting. Last year’s general election… ...

Housing will continue to be a big issue in 2015. The latest Consumer Price Index, released last month, shows both good news and bad news on the housing front. After years of being the most expensive place to build a… ...

It is amazing that you can hear the song of the endangered North Island kokako in South Auckland’s Hunua Ranges, less than 50 kms from the central city. A heavy schedule of policy workshops at the Green Party’s Policy… ...

The Cricket World Cup has just opened in New Zealand, and it’s an opportunity for us to shine on the world stage. International sport can be a chance for us to build relationships with other countries, and examine what it… ...

This week it was my privilege to work with Sri Lankan Tamil communities in this country and host Australian journalist and human rights advocate Trevor Grant. I knew a bit about Trevor from his biography but I didn’t know just… ...

The Government is about to progress the final stages of the Animal Welfare Amendment bill. This will be our last opportunity to get changes made to improve the bill to ensure a better outcome for animals. I have put forwards… ...

Access to buildings is a big issue for many New Zealanders. It looks like that, due to the hard work and persistence of people in the disability community, the Government may finally be starting to take access to buildings seriously.… ...

The Green Party today called on the New Zealand Superannuation Fund (the Fund) to divest from fossil fuels, starting immediately with coal. The call was accompanied with a new report, Making money from a climate catastrophe: The case for divesting… ...

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Susan Burdett was raped and murdered in her home in March 1992. In May 1994 Teina Pora (“the Appellant”) was convicted of the rape and murder of Ms Burdett and the aggravated burglary of her home. In 1999 the New… ...

Peace vigils calling for increased humanitarian assistance and diplomatic support for Middle East peace processes, and opposing the military deployment to Iraq, will be held around the country from Hokianga to Dunedin at 5pm on Thursday, 5 March. ...

The Privy Council’s upholding of the Teina Pora appeal is further evidence New Zealand needs a Criminal Cases Review Panel, Dean of the University of Canterbury’s School of Law, Associate Professor Chris Gallavin says. ...

The Privy Council’s upholding of the Teina Pora appeal is further evidence New Zealand needs a Criminal Cases Review Panel, Dean of the University of Canterbury’s School of Law, Associate Professor Chris Gallavin says. ...

A careful assessment of what could happen to the health of New Zealanders under the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) is needed, say New Zealand doctors. An Australian report Negotiating Healthy Trade in Australia: Health Impact Assessment ...

Youth organisation, Generation Zero, is today launching a report - Fix Our City: An analysis of the Transport Budget in the 2015 - 2025 Long Term Plan - that proposes that Auckland Council focuses on a transport budget that prioritises… ...

“We are delighted to see that the politicians have recognised the greed and selfishness embodied in their initial response to their remuneration increases and are now proposing to amend the appropriate legislation. About time! ” ...

International Women’s Day is a day for celebrating women’s economic, political and social achievements around the globe. It is a day to acknowledge women’s successes, while recognising that there is still a long way to go in ending the inequalities… ...

Family First NZ says that the NZ lecture tour by Dr Rob Jonquiere, a leader of the Dutch euthanasia movement, will ignore the mounting evidence from his own country that there’s no safe way to kill people and that assisted… ...